Tires are formed with a tread that makes contact with the road or ground. Grooves in the tread of the tire, typically referred to as the tread pattern, are designed to provide traction, especially in adverse weather. For example, the grooves may be designed to allow water to be expelled from beneath the tire so as to prevent hydroplaning. As a tire is used, the tread is worn down, thereby reducing the groove depth and limiting its effectiveness in providing traction.
As such, it is important to monitor the tread wear of tires as well as characterize the type of tread wear. Characterization of tread wear of vehicular tires can reveal uneven wear between tires, indicating that a rotation of tires may be needed. Further, uneven wear on one tire may indicate that the vehicle has a suspension problem. Still further, uniform wear of all tires could indicate that the tread has worn down thereby compromising their effectiveness in providing traction and/or increasing the probability of having a tire blowout when a vehicle is in motion.
Accordingly, vehicle owners need to monitor the tread wear by visual check and/or by direct measurement of tread depth to ensure that the tread depth is sufficient for safe driving. Unfortunately, the responsibility for monitoring tread wear may be neglected, leading to tires being utilized after the end of their service life. Driving on tires that are past their service life can unnecessarily place the vehicle driver and passengers in a dangerous driving situation.